§3223 International Undertakings

Summary

The President must start talks quickly with other countries and groups, like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to make international plans for meeting future worldwide nuclear fuel needs. The goal is to negotiate binding agreements that, among other things, set up an International Nuclear Fuel Authority (INFA) to provide fuel services and share fuel supplies, create fuel-assurance rules that stop transferred material from being used for weapons, plan safe and inspected locations and operations for fuel services and storage, set up international repositories for spent reactor fuel, arrange fair payment if energy is later recovered from stored spent fuel, and include penalties for breaking the agreements. Only countries that follow strict nonproliferation rules can get these benefits. Those rules include accepting IAEA safeguards on all peaceful nuclear activities, not making or getting nuclear explosive devices, not starting new enrichment or reprocessing plants, and placing any existing such plants under international control and inspection. The report called for in section 3281 must say how these negotiations are going. The President cannot enter any binding agreement negotiated here that is not a treaty until Congress reviews it and both houses approve it by concurrent resolution. Proposals required under subsection (b) must be sent to Congress in the annual Department of Energy authorization bill.